Educational Science

HIV's Killer Tactics Revealed, New Therapy Approach Found

The reason people who are infected with HIV die is because their white blood cells die, leaving them unable to fight infections. Now, researchers show for the first time that this cell death is caused by cellular self-destruction, and is linked with inflammation. We found that depletion of [these cells]...

Two HIV Patients Are Virus-Free After Bone Marrow Transplant

Two men with HIV who received bone marrow transplants in Boston appear to have no detectable levels of the virus in their bodies, and were able to stop taking medication for the condition, researchers say. One patient has been off HIV medication for seven weeks, and one for 15 weeks,...

One woman's uncommon ability to fight her HIV infection may provide new insights for developing a vaccine that triggers a special immune response against the viral disease, researchers said. Scientists studied a 33-year old woman who had a rare combination of lupus, an autoimmune disease in which an overactive immune...

Experimental Device Could Prevent HIV & Pregnancy in Women

An experimental device could protect women from HIV and herpes while also preventing pregnancy, studies in animals suggest. The device, a flexible plastic ring that is inserted into the vagina, delivers three months of both an antiretroviral drug and a contraceptive drug. So far, the ring has been tested only...

Imaging HIV's Inner Shell

Scientists have created the best image yet of the cocoon-like container that carries HIV’s genome. Resembling a long, intricately woven basket, the inner shell, or capsid, of HIV shown in this video might be a new target for future antiretroviral therapies. Normally, when HIV infects a cell, the capsid is...

Getting Ahead of HIV (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. When AIDS first emerged in the early 1980s, HIV infection was a death sentence. But a global effort has ensured this is no longer the case for a growing...

HIV Returns in 'Cured' Mississippi Baby

A Mississippi child who was born with HIV but had remained free of the virus for more than two years after early treatment now has detectable levels of the virus, according to the researchers involved in the case. The child, known as the Mississippi baby, was born to a HIV-positive...

HIV 'Invisibility Cloak' Allows Virus to Evade Immune System (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. HIV uses an “invisibility cloak” made up of a host body’s own cells, a team of researchers has found, in a discovery that represents a significant step forward in our...

Soy Sauce Yields Potential HIV Drug

In their quest for new medications, researchers have discovered drugs in some unusual places. Penicillin, for instance, was originally derived from a fungus called Penicillium, and quinine, a drug used to treat malaria, can be found in the bark of Cinchona trees. Now, in a surprising discovery, researchers from the...

Rare Case of Female-to-Female HIV Transmission Reported

A 46-year-old woman in Texas likely acquired HIV from her female partner in what health officials say is a rare case of female-to-female transmission of the virus. The two women had been in a monogamous sexual relationship for six months. One was HIV-positive and had not taken medication for the...